Rio Grande Valley 2010

Last year I wrote about what I perceived was happening in the spiritual climate in the Rio Grande Valley (see Winds of Change, February, 2009). I still continue to see that hunger that I saw last year. Yet I am seeing that old sense of purposelessness and spiritual complacency more than ever.

In the process of selling my books I have had the chance to talk to quite a few folks this year, and it was quite an eye-opening experience. I really noticed once again that old complacency in many of the folks that I talked with, and of course, complacency’s place of residence, the “comfort zone” (there I go with that “c” word again!).

Among the interesting experiences was the man who was checking out every table that was selling books. When he found out that the book I was selling was a Christian book, he put it down like the proverbial hot potato, and crossed over to the other side of the aisle, as though he were afraid that something from it might reach out and grab him!

That unique experience notwithstanding, it continues to amaze me that so few who are actually Christian believers are interested in their spiritual growth. For instance, in the park where I reside, we have about three hundred in attendance at the park congregation each Sunday morning. On Sunday night however, we usually have less than thirty who come out for Bible study.

At the congregation that Jack leads, Alamo Rose, where the hunger is more evident, their numbers in morning worship have grown from around the two-hundred mark last year, to over two-hundred-fifty, and sometimes flirting with the three hundred mark this year. In Bible study groups, including three sessions of The Truth Project, they had about sixty different people in attendance. While this is more impressive than ours, you would think that there would be more.

I think that those believers who are absent from these learning opportunities represent both ends of the spectrum. Some are probably those who have the hunger, but have not yet acted on the idea that they should get involved in some type of a study. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the others who have the idea that they have arrived, and are in need of nothing further. I wonder what it is like to feel as though you have gone as far as you can spiritually. Or I wonder if they just really don’t know what it is like to have the Holy Spirit “teach you all things and guide you into all truth” (John 14:26)?

For many years we have talked about people who come to Christ to get a “fire insurance policy” and don’t seem to go any farther. We often think of these as false believers, yet I am convinced that many times they fail to get the encouragement and the guidance that they need in their local churches to continue their spiritual journey.

Jack Gregory and the other CRM pastors in the Valley are the ones that both plan and promote the Bible studies in their parks. I think that this is why they have slightly better success than in other parks like ours, where the pastor has no level of involvement in Bible study, and no mention is even made in the morning worship service other than the mention in the Church bulletin. It is certainly not necessary that the park pastor lead the Bible studies, especially when capable teachers are within the congregation as is true at our park, but a good word of encouragement from the Sunday morning pulpit would really mean a lot.

I readily acknowledge, as I did in my book, that spiritual growth occurs on several different levels and in many different venues, yet regular group Bible study is so important, and is so rewarding to the participants that it also cannot be overemphasized. The writer of the book of Hebrews makes this observation:

“There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.” (Hebrews 5:11-12, NLT)

Indeed there are many believers who, though they should by now be teachers, are not even willing to be learners. Let us pray for them that God, who began the good work in their hearts (Philippians 1:6) will rekindle the fire, and lead them on to new levels of the knowledge of His word.

Thanks for sharing this moment with me today.